<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Side Salad by deviltown</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452596">Side Salad</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deviltown/pseuds/deviltown'>deviltown</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>High School AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff, Romance, Teen Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:01:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452596</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deviltown/pseuds/deviltown</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cabenson High School AU. Olivia finally asks Alex out to dinner. She just wished she had planned the whole thing better.<br/>Based on an incorrect quote by @/incorrectcabensonquotes  on tumblr.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Olivia Benson/Alexandra Cabot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>High School AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Side Salad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olivia didn't have much time to think about consequences when she had asked Alex out to dinner. If she had put some thought she would have chickened out - much like the other times she had tried to ask the blonde out. So, she had come up with the plan to not actually plan anything and basically blurt out a very anxious invitation at the end of their chemistry class.</p><p>They had been partners at that class for a semester now and her crush for Alex had increased exponentially. Olivia had no idea if her extremely beautiful chemistry partner felt the same way about her but she had finally gathered the courage to try and find out.</p><p>“Yeah, sure. That would be nice! I haven’t been out in so long. And I don’t have anything planned for this weekend. Where would we go?” Alex said smiling.</p><p>And that was where Olivia's lack of planning caught to her. It was an usual thing for Olivia - being speechless in front of Alex - but at that moment she looked extra stupid.</p><p>“I, uh, well” She was once more too lost in Alex’s blue eyes to come up with a suggestion.</p><p>Alex continued to smile and came to her rescue.</p><p>“I love Formaggio. Do you know it?” Alex suggested.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, of course.” She was lying, of course, but at that moment it didn’t matter. It was a restaurant, right? What could go wrong?</p><p>“Ok, it’s a date then.” Alex said, walking out to her next class.</p><p>It was a date. Olivia was not dreaming. She was going on a date with the Alex Cabot. She had about three days to prepare. That was it. She was going to bare her soul to the girl she loved in three days over dinner. It felt right.</p><p>Saturday came up sooner than Olivia expected and after confirming with Alex over the phone (Of course I’m still up to our date, Olivia!) she got dressed and gathered all her 2 months worth of allowance she had been saving up for this moment. Getting past her mother wasn’t really an issue. Serena was usually past the point of caring during the weekends and Olivia didn’t even know why she still made a point of coming up with a lie to leave the house.</p><p>When she finally arrived in front of the restaurant Olivia cursed under her breath. The place looked expensive. Too expensive. She had forgotten Alex came from a rich family and that she probably thought that was a normal restaurant for two unemployed teenagers to go to.</p><p>“Well, damn my lack of planning.” Olivia said to herself right before she saw Alex arriving.</p><p>“Hi, am I late?” Alex said not really giving much time for Olivia to answer. The blonde grabbed Olivia’s hand and started pushing her through the restaurant door. Olivia let her be dragged while she admired her friend. She was stunning as usual. Olivia always felt like she was so beneath her. Alex was always put together while she considered herself a mess most of the time.</p><p>When they were inside the restaurant Olivia managed to focus on her surroundings rather than her ultimate crush. If she thought she was screwed before - she was certain now. The place didn’t just look expensive - it most definitely was. She thought about her two month worth of allowance and moaned a little out loud.</p><p>“Are you ok?” Alex asked worriedly.</p><p>Olivia didn’t notice before but Alex was having a full on conversation with a waiter. Apparently, Alex was well known in the restaurant because the waiter was talking to her like he knew her from childhood - which was probably the case.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine.”</p><p>Alex gave her another worried look before the waiter led them to a table on the corner.</p><p>“This is my favorite table” Alex said</p><p>Olivia smiled and nodded having apparently lost her ability to speak. All of her rehearsed conversation topics had flown over those expensive restaurant windows. All she could think about was how was she going to be able to afford having a meal at this place.</p><p>“Alright girls, here are your menus. I’ll be back soon to take your orders” The waiter served them two glasses of water before leaving the two teenagers alone.</p><p>“You look beautiful, Olivia. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you in a dress”<br/>
Olivia felt her face blushing. Alex thought she looked beautiful. She felt like she was in one of many dreams.</p><p>“You look beautiful too, Alex. I mean, you always look beautiful”</p><p>“Thank you, you’re very sweet Olivia.”</p><p>They smiled at each other before going back to the menus. Alex had started commenting on the things she liked and what she usually ordered. Olvia had once again started panicking, the daze of being praised by Alex forgotten. She had finally looked at the prices for the food and as expected - she was screwed.</p><p>Being careful to not curse or moan out loud again, Olivia began thinking about a plan to get her out of that situation. As much as she was enjoying being on a date with the girl she was in love with there was no way she could afford anything on that menu. And she was the one who had invited Alex. Olivia didn’t have much knowledge on dates but she knew for sure she was supposed to pay for their meal. That was the rule, right?</p><p>She was beginning to plan a fake illness when the waiter returned to their table.</p><p>“Are you ladies ready to order?”</p><p>Alex looked at Olivia for confirmation and took her lack of speech as a yes, apparently. The blonde then smiled at the waiter and began telling him her order with no hesitation. Olivia couldn’t focus on what she was saying and before she had time to come up with an out the waiter was looking at her expectantly.</p><p>“I will have the uh, side salad.” She whispered.</p><p>“And what will that be on the side of?” He asked.</p><p>“Uh, I don’t know. Why don’t you put it right here next to my water?”</p><p>The waiter couldn’t help but laugh but he quickly put himself together. Olivia felt her face blushing again but now it didn’t feel so good. She turned her face down to stare at the table. She just wished someone would shoot her.</p><p>“Do you like chicken, Liv? You could order the same as me, I promise it’s really good”</p><p>Alex had come to her rescue once more but this time Olivia knew she couldn’t be saved. It was time to tell her the truth.</p><p>“I, uh, Alex, well” She started still looking down at the table.</p><p>“You now what, Luis? I think we’ll need a little more time, ok?”</p><p>The waiter said something that Olivia didn’t pay attention and left them alone again.</p><p>“Olivia, what’s wrong? You look pale” Alex put her hands on the table reaching out for Olivia’s. It was now or never, Olivia thought.</p><p>“Alex, uh, this is really embarrassing but uh, look...I lied before, ok? I’ve never been to this restaurant and well” She began unsure how to continue.</p><p>Alex had finally managed to put her hands over Olivia’s and she squeezed them making the brunette look up for the first time since the waiter had laughed at her. Alex had a “I finally get it” face and Olivia felt the urge to look down again.</p><p>“Hey, Liv. It’s ok”</p><p>Olivia loved when Alex called her Liv but she was feeling too mortified to properly appreciate it.</p><p>“Alex, no. The truth is, uh”</p><p>“It’s ok Liv, I get. It’s my fault, really. I sometimes forget how ridiculously rich my family is. I promise I didn’t suggest this place to make you feel bad. I, well, I've been coming here for so long and I know most of the people here since I was a little kid. Look, don’t worry about it, ok? I don’t expect you to pay for anything.</p><p>“But I was the one who invited you….”</p><p>“And I was the one suggesting this place. Seriously, don’t worry about it. I just want you to have a good time. I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a long time but I never had the guts to actually do it. When you asked me this week I was so excited that I couldn’t even wait for you to finish your invitation. Forget about this, ok? Let’s have fun”</p><p>Olivia couldn’t help but smile at the blonde. She really was something else. She felt her hands being squeezed again and nodded agreeing to Alex. It was going to be ok. She was on a date with the most beautiful and caring girl in the world. She was going to have fun.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on an incorrect quote by @/incorrectcabensonquotes and a follow up prompt by @/@alexlovesolivia on tumblr.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>